Bao Dao Taiwanese Kitchen
Taiwanese cuisine is a little like Shanghainese cuisine in that it's quite sweet, and not very spicy. The name of the restaurant, 'bao dao', translates to 'treasure island' - due to its subtropical location, Taiwan has an abundance of delicious fruits and its cuisine has influences from the Hokkien region and a little Japanese influence as well.
Gua-Bao
I was most excited for an item which has gathered increasing popularity in New York as something of an Asian tacos: the gua-bao, or simply, 'bao' (written and pronounced differently to the 'bao' in 'bao dao').
The bun of the bao is white and fluffy, and has quite a sweet taste without going directly into flavour-clashing or sweet-and-salty territory. I was momentarily spooked by the pork belly due to its thick fat layer, but once you bite into it, the pork is simply so melt-in-your-mouth and doesn't taste oily or greasy at all. The coriander adds a herbal, refreshing break from the pork, and the chopped peanuts add texture as well as further depth of flavour. Winner.
Bao Dao Beef Intercostal Noodle Soup
Yep, I didn't go crazy - that's the name of this dish. I'm yet to find out what exactly 'intercostal noodle soup' means, and all I can tell you is that it's delicious. Taiwanese beef noodle soup is another typical dish of the cuisine, and you can definitely see why.
Doesn't it just looks like it's packed full of flavours? The beef is slow-cooked in a range of herbs until it is so soft and melty; and gives the broth a very deep, complex flavour. Add to the mix some vegetables and pickled vegies which are slightly sour and salty, as well as hand-made noodles which are chewy and bouncy, and you have one hearty, fulfilling dish!
Bao Dao Pork Sauce with Sticky Rice
The Taiwanese pork sauce is, once again, a very typical dish of the region. It's more like a pork mince, cooked in a magical way to make it extra delicious. In China, we have a word called 'xia fan' - it means, if you put it with rice, it will make the rice so delicious you can eat a lot - and the Taiwanese pork sauce is definitely very, very 'xia fan'.
The red sauce drizzled on top is a sweet chilli sauce. To add a bit of extra oomph, we chose the sticky rice version of the dish, but you can of course just go with normal rice.
Overall Score: 4 / 5
The food is truly delicious, and the Sydney Morning Herald has labelled the gua-bao in particular as one of the best snacks you could get in Sydney - an accolade well deserved. The service is friendly, though they did like to rush you a little - we had barely finished when one of the staff member came over with 'card or cash?'
Having said that, their service is immaculately speedy, perfect for if you have a grumbling tummy!
Price: at approx $26 for 2 pp, this definitely falls under the 'cheap eats' category!
Address: There are several Bao Daos across Sydney, but the one we went to is in Chatswood.
Shop 8 - 376 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW
Website: http://www.baodao.com.au/Default.aspx?location=Chatswood
Gua-Bao
I was most excited for an item which has gathered increasing popularity in New York as something of an Asian tacos: the gua-bao, or simply, 'bao' (written and pronounced differently to the 'bao' in 'bao dao').
 |
| Pork Belly Gua-Bao, $4.5 |
Bao Dao Beef Intercostal Noodle Soup
Yep, I didn't go crazy - that's the name of this dish. I'm yet to find out what exactly 'intercostal noodle soup' means, and all I can tell you is that it's delicious. Taiwanese beef noodle soup is another typical dish of the cuisine, and you can definitely see why.
 |
| Bao Dao Beef Intercostal Noodle Soup, $9.9 (small) / $11.9 (large) |
Doesn't it just looks like it's packed full of flavours? The beef is slow-cooked in a range of herbs until it is so soft and melty; and gives the broth a very deep, complex flavour. Add to the mix some vegetables and pickled vegies which are slightly sour and salty, as well as hand-made noodles which are chewy and bouncy, and you have one hearty, fulfilling dish!
Bao Dao Pork Sauce with Sticky Rice
The Taiwanese pork sauce is, once again, a very typical dish of the region. It's more like a pork mince, cooked in a magical way to make it extra delicious. In China, we have a word called 'xia fan' - it means, if you put it with rice, it will make the rice so delicious you can eat a lot - and the Taiwanese pork sauce is definitely very, very 'xia fan'.
 |
| Bao Dao Pork Sauce with Sticky Rice, $7.5 |
The red sauce drizzled on top is a sweet chilli sauce. To add a bit of extra oomph, we chose the sticky rice version of the dish, but you can of course just go with normal rice.
Overall Score: 4 / 5
The food is truly delicious, and the Sydney Morning Herald has labelled the gua-bao in particular as one of the best snacks you could get in Sydney - an accolade well deserved. The service is friendly, though they did like to rush you a little - we had barely finished when one of the staff member came over with 'card or cash?'
Having said that, their service is immaculately speedy, perfect for if you have a grumbling tummy!
Price: at approx $26 for 2 pp, this definitely falls under the 'cheap eats' category!
Address: There are several Bao Daos across Sydney, but the one we went to is in Chatswood.
Shop 8 - 376 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW
Website: http://www.baodao.com.au/Default.aspx?location=Chatswood
Comments
Post a Comment